The overall objectives for this project are to 1) Define the nature of the transcriptional, processing, and transport controls that are regulating the expression of viral RNA at early times during a productive infection and, 2) Conduct studies that provide clues to the functions of the early gene products. The specific projects involve the role of DNA repair in studies involving transcriptional mapping of UV-inactivated viral genomes. These studies are also being extended to determine the general effects of DNA binding compounds on viral gene expression. The general nature of transcription of regions not coding for early RNAs is being studied by examining both self-annealed and nonself-annealed early viral nuclear RNAs. The effects of early viral gene expression on tumorigenicity of transformed cells and the effects on cell surface changes is being monitored through the use of plant lectins and the immunoprecipitation of viral coded proteins.